Hacham Yom Tov Yedid Last Chief Rabbi of Halab

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COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

13th Annual
Hatzalah Golf Tournament

Hatzalah’s “bar mitzvah” golf tournament, celebrating the event’s 13th year, may have been the best one yet. Gd did His part, providing 80-degree, low-humidity weather after weeks of storms
and 90+ degrees, and the players and donors did their part, raising a considerable sum of money for a terrific and vital cause.

After five years away from Jumping Brook, enjoying Trump International, the tournament returned to Jumping Brook and found the course in tiptop shape. The fairways were plush carpets, the sand traps were like white sand beaches, and the greens were smooth as silk. (And if you were on top of hole #1, nothing would stop your ball!)

The top six teams were separated by just two strokes. Three teams tied for first place with a net score of 58. The three teams were: 1) Ocean Township Mayor Chris Siciliano, Attorney General Martin Arbor, and two ringers (scratch golfers). 2) Nathan Shamosh, Eli Dweck, Adam Nimram, and Steven Betesh. 3) David Braka, Joe Shamie, and Mitchell Gemal.

The team of Fred Ezon, Morris Matalon, Danny Massry, and Judah Abadi was as close behind as you could get, with a net score of 59.

The mayor’s group racked up the most prizes, and the mayor himself won a trophy and cash prize for winning the putting contest, thought he missed the $10,000 final putt.

David Braka was named Winner of Longest Drive, with nobody even coming close.

Kyle Ross, who probably had the lowest handicap on Mayors Team, hit the fairway every shot, earning him Winner of Straightest Drive honors.

Each player received a personalized Maui Jim pair of sunglasses (some models retailing over $300), as well as the Newest lightweight Nike Golf hat, Golf Umbrella, and Gold Balls. Tony Santana personally cut and rolled handmade cigars for everyone.

Thanks go to Steven Sitt and his wife for their hard work to make this event so special, and to all the Hatzalah EMT’s who helped set up and attended to the players’ needs.

Most of all, Hatzalah thanks Donald Epstein, who graciously sponsored the event, and provided the facilities and open bar. Gratitude is also expressed to Mark Bryson of Jumping Brook, who made sure everything ran smoothly.

The Deal community honored the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) at the 11th annual “Evening of Inspiration” on Thursday, August 4, 2016, thanks to the generosity of Adele and Jody Laboz, who hosted the event in memory of Jack Laboz, a”h.

Adele and Jody Laboz graciously accepted an engraved plaque from ICRF commending them for their “dedication and generosity in partnering with ICRF in the fight against cancer.” Leah Susskind, former chairperson of ICRF, chairperson emeritus and president of the Israel Chapter, spoke about her 35-year commitment to ICRF’s mission to find new treatments and cures for cancer. Dr. Louis Weiner, an internationally recognized medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers and a member of the Israel Cancer Scientific Review Panel, which evaluates and ranks grant proposals from Israeli researchers, emphasized the advanced level of research in Israel. Having reviewed thousands of grants, Dr. Weiner remarked how impressed he is with the “great ideas” coming out of Israel today. Unfortunately, he noted, there is not enough money to support all the scientists in Israel looking for funding.

Deej Cohen, a beloved member of the community, shared his experiences as he battles with pancreatic cancer. He thanked ICRF scientists for their ongoing quest for a cure, adding, “The targeted therapy that I am currently on was developed in Israel.”

The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) was founded in 1975 by a group of American and Canadian physicians, scientists and lay leaders who sought to prevent the permanent loss of Israel’s most promising cancer researchers to foreign universities due to the lack of funding in Israel for Ph.D.s, post-doctoral fellows, and accomplished young scientists. With chapters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Florida, Connecticut, and Jerusalem, ICRF has been devoted to supporting cancer research in Israel, a world center for cutting edge research and innovation.

“Through expanded funding,” said Ken Gabel, ICRF New York Director of Development, “we can continue to support the vital research that is needed to treat and ultimately cure cancer, while playing a critical role in helping to keep Israel’s finest scientific talent in Israel. The generous support of the Deal community helps ICRF-funded scientists to find more cures and treatments for cancer, for the benefit of
all humankind.”

Last month, the Renewal organization celebrated The Gift of Life with community kidney donors and recipients. There was truly a great deal to celebrate, with over 50 community members now having been involved in life-saving transplants.

Harry Adjmi was at his best as the Master of Ceremonies, and an emotional silence filled the ballroom as Alon Dery told his miraculous kidney transplant story. Renewal honored world-renowned transplant surgeon Dr. Ron Shapiro of Mount Sinai
Medical Center, who marveled at the organization’s phenomenal accomplishments.

AJ Gindi, community advocate for Renewal, presented to the audience some remarkable facts about
the organization.

• It has facilitated over 350 transplants.

• The age range of kidney recipients is 2-83.

• Renewal is responsible for 65 percent (!!) of all altruistic transplants in the city of New York.

• Renewal has facilitated one out of every five altruistic transplants throughout the United States.

Rabbi Ozeri ended the evening by expressing his heartfelt thanks to Renewal on behalf of the community for saving so many lives.

For more information about being a donor or helping Renewal, please contact A.J Gindi at ajgindi@renewal.org.

The Armanot Chein Hall in Bnei Brak looked like a massive yeshiva on 7 Av/August 11, as some 2,000 students
assembled to receive guidance from some of our generation’s leading Torah sages. These young men, who will soon begin their studies in yeshiva gevohah (post-high school yeshiva), packed into the hall to learn how to prepare for this vital transition. They flocked from across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael, from Kiryat Ata in the north to Be’er Sheva in the south, and included large contingents from Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Modiin Illit. For some two hours, they heard and absorbed sound, practical advice from leading Torah luminaries including HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shelit”a, senior Rosh Yeshivah at the Ponovezh Yeshiva; HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shelit”a, Rosh Yeshivah of Slabodka; HaGaon HaRav Uri Weisblum, shelit”a, Mashgiach of Yeshivat Nachalat Haleviyim; HaRav Dovid Hillel, shelit”a, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat Birkat Efrayim; and Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of the Dirshu organization. Numerous other prominent rabbis and educators were also in attendance.

The Dirshu organization has been conducting this annual assembly for several years, with the numbers of participants increasing exponentially each year.

New Approaches to Stress-Relief

By the SAFE Foundation

What do you do when you find the need to relieve tension or distract yourself from unpleasant thoughts? It’s important to differentiate between damaging, destructive outlets and those that are healthy and productive. Here are four novel, but effective, stress relievers that can help you lead a happier, more fulfilling life:

Vent and Toss: Take a piece of paper that you will be discarding. On this page, record, as honestly as you can, the things that are upsetting you. This type of “write and throw” journaling will allow you to express yourself as freely as possible, release inner angst, and reveal aspects about your negative feelings that you did not initially see. When you have finished writing, read your words from start to finish, and then find a safe way to make your creation vanish.

Talk:Share your woes and worries with someone who cares about
you – a rabbi, relative, or friend. Caring people are all around us, and the older ones have wisdom!

Create a Goal Journal:Take a piece of paper and fold it vertically in half. On the top of each of the four columns created, write categories such as family, health, work, religion, or whatever areas in which you wish to see improvement. If need be, add another page. Under each category, list specific aspirations. Then, whenever you can – preferably every night – write down in your “Goal Journal” everything you did that day to get closer to your listed goals. Do not record setbacks; focus only on what you’ve accomplished. Before you know it, you will be checking off items from your list and feeling quite empowered, as you build the life of your dreams!

Go “Pro”:If you are human, you are not immune to difficulty, but unfortunately, some associate seeking professionial help with shame. We must realize that there are those who have spent years studying the best approaches for specific problems. After careful research to find the best therapist for an issue, those who seek help should regard themselves as courageous and lift their chins in pride, as they exert real effort to improve!

If you or someone you know needs help, please call our confidential, toll-free hotline, 24/7, at 1-866-569-SAFE (1-866-569-7233).
Have a question? E-mail: ask@thesafefoundation.org.